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Submitted by
monster1
a Cross Country Rider
from Hastings, New Zealand
Date Reviewed: July 6, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | Eskdale | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | Avanti Cycles | | Strengths: | Light, awesome frame, brakes everthing!!
CLimbs like a dream, suspension feels spot on, the brain keeps you climbing well, no pedal bob on ascents and even out of the saddle sprint feels good | | Weaknesses: | Tyres feel a touch on the slippery side | | Similar Products Used: | None | | Bike Setup: | Large, all standard | | Bottom Line: | Awesome bike, great help from the Avanti guys in Hastings. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
jcc456
a Cross Country Rider
from Denver, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: June 25, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | Hermosa Creek | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$3100.00 | | Purchased At: | Mojo Wheels | | Strengths: | Climbs like a mountain goat.
Amazing descender.
Value for money.
Brain Shock. | | Weaknesses: | A little creaky at first.
No setback seat post.
Stock pedals were junk. | | Similar Products Used: | Trek Fuel EX8
Gary Fisher Trance
Yeti 575
Specialized Epic 2004
Foes FXC 2001 | | Bike Setup: | Stock except:
Thomson Elite setback seat post
Shimano XT pedals
| | Bottom Line: | This bike is simply an amazing trail bike. Part of what I like is the fact that Specialized fits my body extremely well right off the rack. While I liked the feel of the Yeti 575 - I was between sizes and needed too much modification to get the bike to work. I did not like the ride of the new Trek Fuels at all. I did like the new Gary Fisher trail bike but decided to stick with Specialized for the third time as they have never let me down in the past.
One note of importance is that the first shop I demoed this bike at had it set up with the handlebars very high above the headset which gave it a twitchy feel. Also, the bike comes stock with a zero offset seat post which puts the center of gravity a little too far forward for my liking. Set up in this fashion - I actually did not like the bike.
At the second shop I went too (looking for a Santa cruz Blur LT)- the manager tried to steer me to the Stumpjumper right away. When I told him I didn't like the ride, the first thing he said was the bike needs a setback post right out of the box. Dang, he was right. I got to demo the Expert for 2 days in Fruits (thanks to the guys at Mojo Wheels) before buying and was immediately blown away.
It took a couple of hours to get used to the more upright riding position but I quickly found that I did not lose any efficiency on climbing (now I think it climbs better than any other bike I have owned) but gained tons of control on the downhills.
I am climbing very steep, rough and rocky trails here on the Front Range of Colorado that I never cleaned on my Epic. I am blown away about how much better I climb on this bike. I thought that I would lose some on the climbs given that this bike is a bit more relaxed and a little heavier than my Epic but this is not the case at all.
I should note that this bike seems to have a lower center of gravity, and definitely has a lower bottom bracket, than the other 5" trail bikes I have tried. While this may be a negative for some people, I personally prefer this lower BB. I rarely hit my pedals on tall rocks. I do feel the lower center of gravity makes this a supremely more stable bike than the Trek Fuel, which I demoed on a local trail as well.
Descending on this bike is a quantum leap in both ride quality and control. Again, I am riding stuff clean that I would have never done on my Epic. This bike shines not only on the tough technical drops but also on the swoopy, slalom trails. The steering is tight and precise but never twitchy.
I am very happy with the mix of components. This is my first experience with SRAM and I can say it works very well. The Fox Float fork is very well suited to the bike. I do not think this bike needs an adjustable fork as the geometry is built around the 140mm travel and works well both uphill and down. I did feel that the Talas fork was a necessity on the Trek Fuel EX as the center of gravity was so high that it felt unstable climbing with the fork locked at 140.
I think that the rear Specialized shock with the brain is a nice combination. It took a few rides to get it dialed in. I followed the setup video on Specialized's website and it is now perfect. I ride with the brain about 30% disengaged and it works well for the type of riding I do.
This being said, I also think that the Stumpjumper Comp is a heck of a bike at $2,400.00. With the propedal engaged in the Comp's Triad rear shock I think the ride quality would be similar to the Expert as I now have it set up. I think people looking to save a few bucks should definitely consider the Comp model.
I did have an initial problem with creaking from the suspension linkages. A internet search found that a few people reported similar problems. My shop solved this by re-lubing the linkage screws and tightening them down again with blue loctite. I have not had a problem again.
Overall, this bike is exactly what Specialized intended - one bike for the way most of us ride most of the time. It is far and away the most amazing bike I have ever been on and I can honestly say that it has made me a much better rider. What more can you ask from a bike? | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Che McNichols
a Cross Country Rider
from Alabaster, AL, USA
Date Reviewed: February 2, 2008 | | Favoriate Trail: | Oak Mountain | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Price Paid: |
$3200.00 | | Purchased At: | Bob's Bikes | | Strengths: | Brain rear shock does not degrade pedaling efficiency, and frame geometry is incredibly comfortable. | | Weaknesses: | Cost | | Similar Products Used: | N/A | | Bike Setup: | Stock | | Bottom Line: | The is an incredibly comfortable bike. I rode it for over 5 hours today without any discomfort. I was also able to tackle some trail sections that I usually walk on my HT. All in all this was a great bike. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
coy abellano
a Cross Country Rider
from Pacifica, CA
Date Reviewed: October 3, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Boyscout, Flume Trail | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Purchased At: | Go Ride Bicycles | | Strengths: | UPDATE: This baby can climb. That's it. You like to climb steep stuff rather than pushing on a handlebar? Inch you butt to the nose of the saddle, pop to the granny gear, and ride. Granted you can't beat VPP-equipped bikes for balls-to-the-walls out of saddle mashing. Still, the Stumpjumper ain't so bad. | | Weaknesses: | UPDATE: You like to do step downs higher than 3 feet? Then go check out SX Trail. Heck, go get yourself a Santa Cruz Nomad and build it beefy.
This bike is fun to do small jumps but try to do something with some kind of tranny, please. Big flat landing is big NO NO.
Replace the stock tires as soon as you can. I switched to a Kenda Nevegal and the difference was day and night. | | Similar Products Used: | Santa Cruz Blut LT, Ibis Mojo, Yeti 575, Trek Fuel EX 9 | | Bike Setup: | Stock except tires, saddle, pedals, and grips. | | Bottom Line: | Great beefy cross country / trail bike. It's not an aggressive trail bike but it can be pushed. I've taken it down the Mile and Boyscout trails in Pacifica several times and it held up pretty well. I'd probably slap on a Talas 36 or Lyric Two Step on this bike by Spring 2008. I think the extra 20 mm of travel in the front would slacken the geometry a bit more. We'll see...
I downgraded my rating from 5 stars to 4 stars for overall ratings. But only because since I've owned this bike, I've been doing a lot more progressive riding (i.e. small table tops and hucking 2 footer step downs). I was afraid that if I launched off something more than 3 feet tall, this bike would crack into two pieces.
Still a great bang for the buck if you're transitioning from a wimpy x-country fs bike (like my 2001 Fisher Sugar 3) to something more substantial between your legs. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jason
a Downhiller
from Underhill Vermont
Date Reviewed: September 18, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$2150.00 | | Purchased At: | Bike shop in San Angelo TX. | | Strengths: | Pedals amazingly well going uphill, very light, fast on smooth singletrack, and the drivetrain is immaculate. | | Weaknesses: | If you're going to be riding rough singletrack find something else to ride like a Kona Coiler or something with a beefier suspension and more pedal clearance. Seems like everytime I get on a good technical trail I'm always banging my pedals, or feeling like a ping pong ball. The suspension on this bike is nice, but wasn't made for gnarly trails with alot of roots or rocks. | | Bike Setup: | Everything is stock but the pedals. I have platform pedals from my freeride bike on it at the moment. I'm not a clip in guy. | | Bottom Line: | Great bike but could use more clearance and a better suspension. | Value Rating: Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
coy abellano
a Cross Country Rider
from Pacifica, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: August 13, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Mori Point trail system (great ocean view from the top_ | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$2500.00 | | Purchased At: | Go RIde Bike in Redwood City, CA | | Strengths: | Crisp shifting even under load. Head tube angle makes bombing downhill less scary. Fox Talas 100-140 and Brain Fade is a winning combo!
This baby can climb with little front end wander (inherent with slack headtube angle). Going down hill? Just point and shoot. It hold the line well. Even on hairpin turns!
STIFF back end. This baby feels solid compared to my other noodle of a bike - 2001 Gary Fisher Sugar 3. | | Weaknesses: | Replace the SPD pedals it come with as soon as possible.
Replace stock grips as soon as possible.
What is up with the LX front derailleur? Pairing up the XO rear with an X9 front derailleur would have been a better option. What You See Is What You Get - no way to customize it from the dealer. That's no biggie though.
| | Similar Products Used: | 2001 Gary Fisher Sugar 3, Santa Cruz Blut LT, Chumba XCL, and IronHorse MkIII | | Bike Setup: | Stock - except grips and pedals. | | Bottom Line: | If you're an aggressive XC rider who likes technical single track and earning your downhill prize by climbing it first, then go for the Stumpjumper FSR Expert. Heck, even the lower end ones ike the Elite or Comp models aren't too shabby either.
First things first - let me rave about the BRAIN FADE remote on the rear suspension. It's basically a Fox Float R with remote pro-pedal. You set the BRAIN FADE to your liking and forget about it. Twist it to FIRM when climbing the ridge, then twist it to your desired SOFTness when you're ready to bomb downhill.
I'm not the type to catch air for the hell of it. I'm 36 years old and a smidgen above 200 pounds. When I land jumps from a bad transition, I land hard! But with this bike, I am milking every single foot high drops and trannies I can find. If anything else, this bike bought me a lot of confidence.
The shifting is well delivered by a combo of components generally done for Fishers/Trek bikes. Specialized could do better by including an XT front derailleur in this model. But it works well so far so what am I complaining. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris Smith
a Cross Country Rider
from Waxhaw, NC
Date Reviewed: July 20, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | USNWC Charlotte (Old Catawba Trail) | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$3000.00 | | Purchased At: | Bicycles East in Matthews, NC | | Strengths: | Great all-round bike...best value for the money. Highest level of componentry (SRAM 0, Juicy brakes, etc). | | Weaknesses: | The only weakness I've found so far are the stock Specialized tires. After a couple of pinched tubes and washouts on the front end with the stock Specialized Resolution Pro tires, I purchased Specialized Roll-X (huge difference in grip both laterally and in breaking). | | Similar Products Used: | Trek Fuel | | Bike Setup: | Bone Stock except new Specialized Roll-x tires. | | Bottom Line: | Since I couldn't afford a Stumpjumper FSR Carbon, I bought the FSR Expert and made my fat a$$ lose 10 lbs. I saved $3000 and ended up with less total weight. With changing the tires, this bike is ready for racing out of the box. Great quality and components for the money. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
vangelis
a Weekend Warrior
from athens, greece
Date Reviewed: June 20, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$3000.00 | | Purchased At: | tsirikosbikes | | Strengths: | Top M5 aloy Frame, fox brain fade shock, great talas fork, sram gear, juicy seven brakes | | Weaknesses: | Cheap hubs, sadle, fat and slow tires, paint cheaps eassily | | Similar Products Used: | Hardtails so far. This is my first full suspension bike. | | Bike Setup: | Stock appart from sadle which was replaced by a WTB rocket V and hubs replaved with XTRs. | | Bottom Line: | This the 07 expert model. Amazing and great fun to ride in all conditions. great climbing and downhill performance, a do it all bike. Some cheap components could have been improved but even though they work fine and could be upgraded afterwards. Specialized offers the best in fork, frame, suspension, brakes and drivetrain for this amount of money and this is the bike's main strength.
Specialized's Mudflap fender is a must since the rear shock gets full of mud and dust without it. Overall this is a great bike that will leave you with a big smile after every ride. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a Weekend Warrior
from Hobart
Date Reviewed: April 23, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | Tested or demo'ed only | | Purchased At: | Ray Appleby Cycles | | Strengths: | Great geometry, handles beautifully. Smooth suspension action, no pedal feedback/bob.
Great spec too. | | Weaknesses: | Not the best jumper around. some of the cable routing leaves a bit to be desired. | | Similar Products Used: | Specialized Epic. | | Bike Setup: | Stock. | | Bottom Line: | Really well thought out geometry. The TALAS fork makes the bike really versatile, nice and low for climbing, and laidback for those epic descents.
Didn't jump that well though, but feels comfortable over just about anything.
The Brain seems to smooth out the trail well, and the suspension action gives lots of grip both descending and ascending.
Looks like a well specced bike at a reasonable price. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Stephen
a Weekend Warrior
from Fremont, CA, USA
Date Reviewed: April 15, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | Demo, Santa Cruz, CA | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Strengths: | This bike FLOATS through the nasty stuff. The fork works impecibly, while the rear sus. absorbs EVERYTHING! Shifting is precise, and geometry is great! Nice parts - X0, Talas, Brain, XT crank, Juicy7s. You can tune the brain to your own individual taste. Mine? 3 rotations away from firm. | | Weaknesses: | Bars, stem, saddle, CHEAP CASSETTE!!! | | Similar Products Used: | First full sus. ever. Came off a hardtail, and unless it's a 29er, I'll never go back to one. | | Bike Setup: | Wheels - 819 UST + King Hubs, King headset, XT Cassette (smartest, most useful upgrade), Rival SL saddle (so glad I did), Eggbeater SL's, Nevegal 2.1 in front, with Small Block 8 2.1 in rear (summer) and Nevegal 2.1 (winter). | | Bottom Line: | This bike is GREAT! I absolutely love (and always do...) pointing it towards the gross, rutty stuff, because I know it can handle it! In all honesty, I have become such a more confident rider, doing log jumps, 3 foot drops, dh rutty stuff, and everything! I couldn't have asked for a more do-it-all bike. I have found the "sweet spot" for my own pref. When tuned all to soft, if will def. sag and be too loft for climbing. You can really tell the dif on the dh if it's firm or soft, though. If you need a bike that can race occasionally ( I just raced it yesterday at the Sea Otter Classic XC race (20 miles, 3300ft climbing)) yet still handle the nasty stuff on the trails, this is your bike! If you plan on doing 5+foot drops, consider the Enduro SL or Enduro. You want a faster, better climber? Epic. Again, this is a trail bike, yet can handle the occasional race or the aggressive side of downieville. I love it!!! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Bobby Davro
a Cross Country Rider
from Leicestershire
Date Reviewed: March 1, 2007 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$3999.00 | | Strengths: | Manoeuvrability, brain fade technology, light weight. | | Weaknesses: | Haven’t found any yet, but i'm sure there are some. | | Bike Setup: | stock | | Bottom Line: | This is my first full suspension bike, and as much as I love the fsr ride this is not the main reason why I enjoy riding this bike so much. For me, it’s the frame. This bike is so easy to thrash around, it flows round corners with ease and feels solid when doing so. A real benefit for myself is the geometry of the bike fits my proportions as if the frame was a custom design. (This of course is merely a personal aspect of my riding experience).
The suspension, superb. If you want to surf over them bumps set the forks and rear shock fully active, then once you hit a steep climb crank up the brain fade and adjust the travel on the front forks (or lockout), and this baby will do thy bidding. The brain fade is particularly special because it allows you to ride the bike like a hard-tail, yet if the bump is big enough the suspension will become active for a moment and absorb the shock. When set to your personal sweet spot you may find you wont even have to adjust this during your right at all. This makes for a ‘very’ fun and interesting riding experience and is just another great aspect of this bike’s design. The Stumpjumper almost combines the benefits of a hard-tail with a full suspension – very cleaver indeed.
Its important to note that with any full suspension bike it takes a little more maintenance, this bike is no exception. That’s not a weak point for me as I like to tinker, but do keep this in mind if its your first.
A beautiful bike, who’s advertising images do it no justice as they are way over exposed. (The real thing is much darker). No doubt its an expensive bike, but true to form specialized deliver with a whole host of solid components to go with this super fun frame.
I’ll give this a 4/5 simply because no bike is perfect, but damn is this a beauty to ride!
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
TJ
a Cross Country Rider
from Fredericksburg
Date Reviewed: January 3, 2007 | | Favoriate Trail: | couple secret places | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1800.00 | | Purchased At: | OTB!!!! | | Strengths: | Fork, Shock, Componentry, Suspension style, basically everything, minus the seat. a bit stiff | | Weaknesses: | Bushings. It seems to have developed a ridiculous amount of play, though I will be fixing soon, and might be upgrading to the '07 link. Could use a nicer front derailer. | | Bike Setup: | Stock so far, once things wear out I think the first thing I would change is to get some mavic crossmaxes. | | Bottom Line: | Amazing. Point blank. One of the places I ride, is basically 100% technical. Its nice to be able to weave in and out of the trees without taking off my shoulders and what not. Flows naturally with the trail, great speed. LOVE the suspension, and the three positions. Though if you are riding it locked out, I might advise against any jumping and rough landings. This may have been the cause for the sudden wear of my bushings, I commuted a couple times, and was on road the whole time. Great ride, over all. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Aaron
a Cross Country Rider
from Santa Cruz
Date Reviewed: May 25, 2006 | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1800.00 | | Purchased At: | Cycle Works | | Strengths: | Fun, climbs awesome, feels like you land in powder off big jumps and drops, killer bike. Love the snapy feeling through tight single track, super lively, it carves. I'm rediculously stoked. I actually use all three setting in the shocks. lock is nice. | | Weaknesses: | ? none yet. this is the 06 | | Similar Products Used: | N/A | | Bike Setup: | Fox float 120mm, avid mechanical disc, Deore | | Bottom Line: | I've never ridden a full suspension, this thing is insane! I'm having so much fun.I just hucked myself off stuff I always thought was a death wish, and I'm still alive. I'm so glad to bought it new. everything is perfect. my first "new" bike in a long time. it's worth every penny. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Gary Griffiths
a Weekend Warrior
from Macclesfield, cheshire UK
Date Reviewed: April 28, 2006 | | Favoriate Trail: | anything with some kick! | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1800.00 | | Purchased At: | private | | Strengths: | Apart from looking like the dogs danggles, it rocks, great rear shox "triad", the forks have got to be the best i've ridden, not to keen on the stock stuff, . | | Weaknesses: | Very hard to keep clean around the shock, the stock parts could be better for price.. | | Similar Products Used: | Scott, Trek, Kona.... etc etc.. | | Bike Setup: | ive upgraded the wheels (mavic on hope), the bars (easton carbon cnt), brakes (mono mini), crank and BB (XT), cassette (XTR Ti), will change the rest soon, ie stem, seat post QR, Etc.. | | Bottom Line: | I'am a weekender, so the bike doesn't see that much XC, however when I do go out i take the risks, and push to the limit, the Stumpjumper takes it all, I love this bike it rocks, I will upgrade it to death, and I may even change to an Enduro as I'am getting more extreme with the hills and due to the stumpy taking everything i throw at it..
On a whole would recommend to anyone, to the beginner its great to the expert throw some upgrades on it and live the dream. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
taber
a
from rochester,new hampshire,usa
Date Reviewed: November 5, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | turnkey,mount trash :) | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Strengths: | everything this bike is a xc god | | Weaknesses: | none | | Similar Products Used: | lots | | Bike Setup: | stock other than some carbon upgrades | | Bottom Line: | if you are looking for a great xc bike look no further. i can rip through single track with this bike like no other!! it handles corners like it is on rails, and with fox front and rear how can you go wrong. the 3 adjustments on the rear triad are wonderful, even though i almost never lock it out. there is just no need after you get used to the full suspension having it hard just does not feel right. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mtn rider
a Cross Country Rider
from Front Range, CO
Date Reviewed: June 29, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 6 months | | Price Paid: |
$1400.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Suspension, handling, weight | | Weaknesses: | grips wearing faster than expected, nothing really | | Similar Products Used: | Cake, Fuel, Blur | | Bike Setup: | Everything stock so far | | Bottom Line: | First FS bike after riding hard tail into the ground. Rode several bikes during a six month search to find the perfect bike for my riding style, size/weight. Lockout on fork rarely used, three position Fox shock in rear used all the time, mostly in Pro Pedal.
Bike is scary fast, delivers almost too much confidence pushing me to the edge without advance warning. Still learning to feel the bike around corners, rocky trails, and tight downhills. It's a little light up front on steep hill climbs, but getting used to it. Very light considering all the hardware packed on this bike for the FS system. Compared to the Cake, Fuel & Blur, my decision was a no brainer. I wanted the Blur to be the one based on cool factor, but after riding the Stumpy, the feel of the suspension just felt perfect. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Marc
a Weekend Warrior
from Sacramento, CA
Date Reviewed: May 14, 2005 | | Favoriate Trail: | Salmon Falls | | Duration Product Used: | 1 Year | | Price Paid: |
$1560.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Great price for what you get. The rear shock is awesome, with the three settings. Nice to have options. Also, wheels | | Weaknesses: | Heavy wheels, saddle, pedals. | | Bike Setup: | Stock set-up, except a new saddle and mechanical disk brakes. | | Bottom Line: | This is a great bike for a great price. Easy to upgrade where you want. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
alexander
a Weekend Warrior
from Toronto,Ont, Canada
Date Reviewed: April 1, 2005 | | Duration Product Used: | 2 Years | | Price Paid: |
$2000.00 | | Purchased At: | sporting life | | Strengths: | agile, lightweight for its category, strong,low maintainance cost for parts.proven frame design. | | Weaknesses: | The front fork fox RL 100mm is heavy. It could be lighter. | | Similar Products Used: | NRS1,Trek fuel 100, garyfisher sugar series | | Bike Setup: | forx RL100mm,fox float rear shock, shimano 765 wheels,trailblaster tubeless tires,Raceface Dues crankset, shimano 959 pedals.Raceface carbon handlebar. LX disc braks | | Bottom Line: | I rode this bike for 2yrs without any problems. The forx RL fork is a bit heavy. I swap aluminum handle bar for Raceface carbon bar. It improved handling significantly. The fork has great adjustibility in all X-country trails.Rear stock fox shock is also good for stock component for my light weight category(130lbs). Heavier riders will need to upgrade to more powerful shock. The bike can stop on a dime like BMW 3series. LX disc brakes are very good. I have no complaints. It may not be the lightest but I don't have money to upgrade. I give it 4 chilli | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
robert bichin
a Cross Country Rider
from san francisco, ca
Date Reviewed: November 14, 2004 | | Favoriate Trail: | one made from dirt & rock that goes up & down | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1450.00 | | Purchased At: | SF LBS | | Strengths: | solid frame, nice geometry, great Fox fork, great Fox rear susp. w/ triad, overall value... | | Weaknesses: | LX, not the lightest machine on the trail, handle bars too long... | | Similar Products Used: | SJ hardtail. | | Bike Setup: | 1/2 cut from each end of bars, egg beaters, installed Hayes disc brakes pronto... | | Bottom Line: | This bike will make a full-susp. convert out of any hardtail riding, teeth rattled fool. The SJ FSR simply lets you get up and over stuff you'd peviously struggle with and bang yourself up on with a hardtail. This FSR attribute gors for both UPHILL & DOWNHILL. The 3 rear susp. settings are plain awesome and the Fox front is fully adjustable and has lockout. Simply put, I don't quit riding the trail on any given day due to fatigue. The FSR is plain comfortable. The legs and lung may blow -but the rest of your sorry ass will be in very good shape riding all day on this bike. 5for value. 4 overall cuz you know that there's higher end ($) models of the same bike... | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Matt
a Cross Country Rider
from Blacksburg, VA
Date Reviewed: July 9, 2004 | | Favoriate Trail: | Snowshoe trails | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1700.00 | | Purchased At: | Hudson Trail Outfitters | | Strengths: | Suspension design! The Triad is a great deal, especially if you don't need or like the Pro-Pedal feel. | | Weaknesses: | Bike came with 121mm bottom bracket which appeared to cause major shifting problems (the chain line was noticably offset; i.e., the crank was too far away from the bottom bracket).
It's a real pain to keep the rear shock clean (very little room back there).
Tire clearance is minimal (at Snowshoe it was a serious problem even with 1.85" Mosquitoes).
Of the stock components left, the stem has a noticable flex (it's getting replaced soon). The stock saddle was painful. The stock wheels weighed 1.6 pounds more than the upgraded set.
The 30.9 seatpost diameter makes it a real pain to find a replacement post. | | Similar Products Used: | Kona Dawg, Giant NRS 1, Jamis XLT 1.0, Santa Cruz Heckler | | Bike Setup: | XL framesize stock except for: XTR hubs/XC 717 rims, with Avid Mechanical discs (yes, it can be done); carbon bars and seatpost, salsa lip-lock; XT(760) cassette (11-32), WTB Rocket Stealth saddle; | | Bottom Line: | The FSR is plush! Details: Though I can see the rear suspension moving while climbing, it is not a bobbing motion, and in fact when I locked out the suspension, the climb became more uncomfortable b/c of the bumps I was absorbing. I've played around a lot with the fully open setting and the pro-pedal setting. I have found the pro-pedal setting a little more harsh than the fully open setting (when running in the open position, which I do exclusively now, I set the air pressure about 10-15 psi higher than in pro-pedal).
I have set the front fork according to the Fox manual and never touched it (I haven't even locked it out).
I paid about $1700 for the bike (stock weight in XL was 29.5 pounds). I then spent another $1000 on the upgrades listed above and the bike now weighs 26.8 pounds (I bought a fishing scale). It is a noticable difference. A friends full XTR Ellsworth Truth (medium) seems to weigh more (we will put on the scale soon and see). (For comparison my old Cannondale hardtail weighs 24.7 pounds, and I weight about 210 in full gear).
I raced it in the 24 Hours of Snowshoe and the bike handled everything that the course threw it's way. My wife and I went back the next weekend and went for a 4 hour ride and a six hour ride. I could have never ridden that long on my hardtail, especially on such a rough trail (for the record she was on a 17 inch Kona Dawgmattic that must have weighed 35-40 pounds)
Though not stock, the Avid mechanicals stop superbly and are extremely easy to set up and adjust. One bonus is you can hang your bike upside down so the fork stays lubed as Fox recommends (you're not supposed to do that with hydraulics).
As for the chainline problem, basically it was impossible to adjust the front derailler to stop chain rub because the crank was too far away from the bottom bracket shell. It seemed to shift OK, it was just annoying to hear chain rub (plus there was some serious chain bend coming from the rear cassette to the front). The HTO mechanic could not explain. It's easy to see, they had another FSR on the rack and you can see how far the crank is offset to the right (looking from the rear).
I played around with various crankset combinations (between the stock crank and an LX 570 crank) and a 110mm bottom bracket and a 118mm bottom bracket. The best chainline (or what most people would call normal) was the shorter bottom bracket and the LX crank (I put the stock crank on my hardtail with the 118 BB; the 121 BB is too long for anything??)
Bottom line: I can highly recommend this bike for anyone coming from a hardtail. I'm pretty sure the other bikes I tested would have been great in the end as well, I just couldn't get comfortable on the test rides or the stores wouldn't let me take them for much of a ride. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Jack Ancrum
a Cross Country Rider
from England
Date Reviewed: July 7, 2004 | | Favoriate Trail: | Coed y Brenin MBR trail | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1700.00 | | Purchased At: | Climb on Bikes | | Strengths: | Fox Suspension Package, standover height, frame weight,Relatively good conponentry for the price | | Weaknesses: | XTR rear mech has to be constantly re adjusted, developed rear shock bush problem within first month of riding(free replacement) Good hubs and finishing kit. | | Similar Products Used: | Giant NRS air, Giant NRS 1 | | Bike Setup: | Used specialized owners manual to adjust suspension air pressure (forget fox chart)Remember to add extra pressure for extra equipment. | | Bottom Line: | Great bike for all round use, can't complain about much at all! The fox Triad is great for changing the bikes handling to suit the terrain. I ended up using my bike on the fully open suspension setting as it soaks up everything from small bumps through to big hits. As soonyou as hit a road the lockout levers come into play which are great if you want to go out for a quick road training run. Overall it's a top bike for the price and the only upgrade i've made was to hope mini hydraulics purely for looks. In my opinion you won't get a better bike for the money! | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Chris
a Cross Country Rider
from Steamboat Springs, CO
Date Reviewed: June 7, 2004 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1500.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Suspension design and Fox Shox, relatively light | | Weaknesses: | LX front derailler, pedals | | Bike Setup: | Set the rear shock pressure per the Specialized Manual, forget the Fox manual for that one. The fork set per the Fox manual; low end for fun, high end for racing. | | Bottom Line: | Great all-around performance, unbeatable value. Everyone compares this bike with the Blur, somehow know one ever mentions this bike is about $1,000 cheaper for comparable components. Specialized is also a great company to deal with.
I like the seat and tires. It would be impossible to select one set of stock tires to please everyone. I also like the disc hubs - they were one of the main reasons I bought this model. I wanted disc brakes but prefer the Avid Mechanicals to the hydro's that come on the Expert disc model, this makes the upgrade easy and I saved some cash. This bike is so fast the upgrade to discs is a must!
Need to release an M5 version for next year. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Stu
a Cross Country Rider
from Charleston, SC, USA
Date Reviewed: June 1, 2004 | | Favoriate Trail: | Killer 3 | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1750.00 | | Purchased At: | LBS | | Strengths: | Frame, triade rear shock, derailers, crank | | Weaknesses: | brakes, handle bars, paint | | Bike Setup: | '04 Marzocchi MX Comp w/ETA front shock, Race Face Deus stem, Race Face Air flat handle bar...everything else stock | | Bottom Line: | This bike is PHAT! I got tired of riding hard tail...what a difference! The design and workmanship of the frame is awesome. The geometry of the frame is not only cool looking but provides more crotch clearance...just in case ;). The rear suspension pivot points are very smooth without any side-to-side play. This bike comes stock with really good components. However, I didn't like the swayed handle bars so I replaced that and the stem (120mm) for a better riding position. I also didn't like the Fox Float front shock as much as the Marzocchi MX Comp w/ ETA that I had bought for my hardtail. The Fox is bouncy and causes the front wheel to lose contact with the ground. I tried different adjustments but the response didn't change much. Now the Marzocchi is on the bike and it has improved the handling. My biggest complait about the bike is the paint. It looks great but it chips and scratches very easily. Nothing touch-up paint can't fix though. Overall this bike is outstanding, I'd recommend it to anyone. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Mike Hooper
a Weekend Warrior
from So. Jordan, UT, USA
Date Reviewed: May 17, 2004 | | Favoriate Trail: | Alta's Germania | | Duration Product Used: | Less than 1 month | | Price Paid: |
$1600.00 | | Purchased At: | Bicycle Center | | Strengths: | Sharp handling, solid components, Triad shock, and tires that grip the hard-pack and rocks. | | Weaknesses: | Crappy paint, some chain suck, and potentially the disc ready hubs. | | Similar Products Used: | None (first f/s) | | Bike Setup: | Other than Time pedals it's stock. | | Bottom Line: | Just got back from a long weekend in Moab and have decided that f/s is the only way to go. After 10+ years of riding on hard tails I was amazed at how well this bike handled the trails and saved energy.
A very fast steering bike that can pick its own line as well as allow the rider to re-direct in a heartbeat. Confidence creating from the word go. The Fox Triad shock is incredible. One can really feel a difference between open and pro-pedal and the 4 inches of travel is more than enough for my 155 lbs.
The Fox Float RL 100 fork is a little bouncy and I'm having a hard time dialing it in just right, but I think that ultimately it will be very nice. The lockout feature on the shock and fork make what little road riding I do easier to take.
The only real complaint I have is that I seem to knock the pedals/crank arms a lot more on obstacles.
Not sure that I like the disc ready hubs. If I wanted disc brakes I would have bought the disc model. Also, there was some creaking noise that I wasn't able to locate. It's gone after 100 miles of riding (maybe just the spokes settling in).
Overall, I have to give it the full 5 chiles as the bike has exceeded my expectations of what I could expect from a full-suspension rig. If you're looking for your first f/s or to upgrade w/o going broke this bike deserves a look. It has enough upside to keep anyone happy a long time.
| | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Caleb
a Cross Country Rider
from Salt Lake
Date Reviewed: April 30, 2004 | | Favoriate Trail: | any | | Duration Product Used: | 3 months | | Price Paid: |
$1800.00 | | Purchased At: | Bicycle Center | | Strengths: | Awesome suspension. I came from a hardtail and couldn't be happier. Good components and great price compared to other bikes I looked at. | | Weaknesses: | Brakes. Switched them for avid mechs. Not had the handle bar problems that others have. | | Similar Products Used: | trek fuel, blur, kona | | Bike Setup: | stock except for the avids that I put on. after a few more months I will see but for now things are awesome. | | Bottom Line: | I love it. Better than anything I have tried. I am pretty aggressive and have had no handling problems at all. Would definately recomend this to others. | | Value Rating:Overall Rating: |
Submitted by
Vallie Atkinson
a Weekend Warrior
from Roseburg, Oregon, USA
Date Reviewed: March 12, 2004 | | Favoriate Trail: | New Ones | | Duration Product Used: |
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$ 1850.00
